Tears Of Blue Rose
by Renchikara
Summary: Souseiseki and Hinaichigo still need to be rescued now that the Alice Game is over. Their spirits are trapped in an alternate dimension, and they are waiting for Shinku and the others to come. As they remain patient, Souseiseki relives her life up until this point, right from the moment she was created.
1. Mirror

**One**

**Mirror**

I hate seeing her crying face. It's like looking in a mirror.

'Are you... crying... again?' I whisper, my hand reaching up to wipe away the tears rolling down Suiseiseki's cheeks. She holds me in her arms, eyes full of pain, sobbing away.

'Yes, I am...' she replies chokingly. 'I'm crying because you're such a wretched little sister!'

I sigh, feeling the life draining out of me already. How can I have failed so easily? My goal to become Alice has flutters away as I catch a glimpse of a dark silhouette against the artificial moon of the N-field. So Suigintou won. She is the one who has the right to becoming Alice between the two of us. I am a failure. The most unworthy of the Rozen Maidens. A horrible sinking feeling spreads though me. The one who looks like a boy rather than a girl. The one who refers to herself as 'Boku', instead of how a lady should address herself.

The one who has fallen.

I am going to die, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. But I am content with this outcome. I am not the one who shall become Alice, as I have fallen short of it, and so I have no right to carry on living. Let the strongest and most worthy doll win, so they can be with Father. So they can make him happy.

'You're coming back with us, do you hear me?' Suiseiseki sobs. 'We'll be together forever!'

'Together... forever...?' I whisper, a smile breaking across my face. How wondrous that sounds... if only... if only... Another time, another world... one with no Alice Game... a perfect world...

'Suiseiseki... you must... take my Rosa Mystica.'

She has to... become Alice. I know she hates fighting, I'm aware that she does not wish to do battle with the sisters, but I want her to become Alice more than any of the others. The chance to make Father... happy...

With this last thought, I leave.

.

I am drifting through the air, a small weak soul, alone, confused, afraid. It's so cold and dark and I know Suiseiseki has not collected my Rosa Mystica yet. I wish she would hurry up; I hate this empty black void already...

Then, I am being whisked away, to the glorious world of Suiseiseki's heart where there is a beautiful forest and the flowers are blooming and-

No.

I guess I'm even more unlucky than I thought.

The place is dark, the buildings are in ruins, the air is still cold. Broken pieces of dolls are scattered across the ground, and I can only think of one doll who would have such distaste.

Suigintou has taken my Rosa Mystica.

Damn her.

I can picture easily how enraged Suiseiseki would be, and I imagine Shinku would have something to say about it, too. It's easy to visualise Suiseiseki screaming, 'Give her Rosa Mystica back to her, Suigintou!' while the first Rozen Maiden gleefully dances around in the night sky, shining with her new powers, laughing away as Shinku mutters about how disgraceful this is. I can see Suiseiseki bringing my empty body back to the other two, Hinaichigo crying,'Souseiseki... no...' as Suigintou continues to gloat about the new Rosa Mystica inside of her.

Perhaps I can picture these things so clearly because I am watching it happen.

I move closer to the only thing that doesn't seem to be broken in this horrid field of Suigintou's, a mirror showing me what is going on now that I have died. I watch in pity as I see the pained look in my older twin sister's eyes, knowing that she will never be the same now that I have left their world for good.

_I'm right here, Suiseiseki. Can you hear me? I'm calling to you..._

.

* * *

'Come now... wipe your tears away... Souseiseki would not have wanted to see you cry like this.'

Shinku has got that right, if anything. I too feel completely wretched as I watch Suiseiseki desperately trying to stifle her sobs, only to give up and to instead bury her head in Shinku's shoulder, crying harder than ever. Kanaria and Hinaichigo are also present, all sitting on Jun's bed gazing down sadly at my lifeless body, while Jun and Nori stand behind them, also looking more than depressed. Even Shinku looks like tears might appear in her eyes if she's not careful. They're all so sad to see me go. This makes me feel even worse, so terribly guilty. I have left them all like this, because I was too weak... how could I have done this to them...?

_ I'm right here, Suiseiseki. Please show some signs to tell me you can hear me. Please, listen. I'm here. I'm calling to you. I'm watching right now, I have gone nowhere, really._

But no one can ever hear me.


	2. Strawberry

**Two**

**Strawberry**

There's nothing else I can do, so I continue to watch the other Rozen Maidens grieving in the mirror.

I find that I can follow any of the dolls except Barasuishou with this mirror. I'm not entirely sure why that is, but it's only logical that I should be able to see Suigintou's life, given that I am in her field. I have always assumed that Suigintou fought the Alice Game because she was so desperate to become Alice and to see Father, but I can see now that she has a medium: a dying girl named Megu who she wants to save. I can see memories of Barasuishou visiting and informing Suigintou that all the Rosa Mysticas could save Megu.

What happens next to Shinku's group is terrible.

They haven't even properly come to terms with the fact that I am gone, when Hinaichigo starts dying. Shinku informs the others that because I have now been defeated and the Alice Game has officially begun, Father will no longer allow her to remain in the Game. Because Hina was beaten by Shinku a while back, she has lost and now she must surrender her Rosa Mystica. So Hina is the next Rozen Maiden to go.

* * *

Her death is so very sad.

I know I shouldn't watch, but I do anyway. She lies within the arms of her previous medium, Tomoe, and she slowly starts to wind down. Jun brought her to Tomoe because they wanted to make Hinaichigo happy in her final hours, which I can understand. She draws and sings to herself the way she usually does, but during a game of hide and seek she collapses and Tomoe holds her as dies. I feel tears forming in my eyes as I watch this, because how is it fair that sweet, pure, little Hinaichigo should die?

I know that her Rosa Mystica goes to Shinku, which is a relief because I have been to Shinku's field in the past and I know that it is a nice, peaceful place. Hina should be okay there.

Every so often I have actually attempted to leave Suigintou's field, but it's impossible because she posses my Rosa Mystica. Instead I am forced to stay in this horrid place, enduring the silence and the coldness and the constant darkness.

I can only hope that the sixth Rozen Maiden, the little strawberry, is happier than I am.


	3. Game

**Three**

**Game**

I watch the way Suigintou gazes at her Medium with care and affection. And love. She wants to save this girl so badly. For the first time in my life since I first met her, I pity Suigintou and can, for a moment, forget that she killed me. Perhaps I can feel no hate because tonight, while I was watching Shinku's group, I saw Father.

He spoke to them- Shinku, Suiseiseki and Kanaria. He was there, under the name of Enju. It was actually him. The man who created me, and all the other sisters. My father, Rozen.

But something was wrong. He seemed cold and emotionless as he told my sisters to begin the Game and not to wait a moment longer. Barasuishou was there, which I don't understand. How is it that Father can be in association with her? How can he not care about us? Yes, we all know that he desires Alice. But we all remember him as a kindly loving figure who brought us into the light of life. Is it that he has grown far too impatient to him, and we've become a disappointment to him? Am I a disappointment? After all, I _failed_. But I am the way he made me, which just means that ultimately, I am not perfect. I was never destined to become Alice. I am unworthy.

But does he still love me? He never even mentioned me, or Hinaichigo, as if we are now irrelevant. He doesn't care.

Is this really the Father I remember?

.

* * *

'SUISEISEKI!' I scream, my hands up against the mirror, tears leaking from my eyes for the first time in a long time as I see my dear twin sister frozen in a crystal shard as she attempts to protect Kanaria from Barasuishou. Slowly, to my utter horror, I see a Rosa Mystica appear from the still form of my sister.

No-

-_no_-

'SUISEISEKI! _SUISEISEKI!'_

It's useless. I'm dead. There's nothing I can do to save my twin from this. Her Rosa Mystica is about to go to Barasuishou, and the only consolation is that sooner or later either I'll probably be reunited with her as the Alice Game draws to a conclusion.

'NO!' comes a shriek from Kanaria, and she launches forwards, grabbing the Rosa Mystica, preventing it from entering Barasuishou's body.

'It looks like... Kana will protect you now,' Kanaria whispers, her hand pressed against her chest where the Rosa Mystica has entered.

'That doesn't belong to you. Give it to me,' Barasuishou says quietly.

'RUN, KANARIA!' I shout. 'SHE'LL KILL YOU! RUN!'

But of course, no one can hear me.

'I- I'm not afraid of you! I'll protect Suiseiseki's Rosa Mystica no matter what, you hear?! So- so you better just stop right there! This time, I'll be the one to protect everyone, you hear?! I won't let you have her, I'll never let you have her-'

I watch in terror as Kanaria loses the Alice Game to Barasuishou.

.

* * *

'You don't have the will to become Alice! Or the will to fight!' Suigintou taunts Shinku. 'If you don't have your sense of duty, your pride as a Rozen Maiden, then BEGONE!'

Shinku grabs Suigintou around the throat and shoots towards the ground, the impact causing a mighty crash with lots of dust rising from a crater they created.

'Look at them!' Shinku hisses, holding Suigintou's chin and forcing her face to turn towards the bodies of Suiseiseki and Kanaria. 'They did not want to fight- neither of them wanted to fight! As sisters- as fellow dolls- they did not want to hate each other. They did not want to hurt each other So why- tell me why?!'

'B-because we're Rozen Maidens, that's why, you fool!' Suigintou gasps.

_If only you knew the truth, Shinku,_ I think. _There is a human girl that Suigintou wants to save, and all the Rosa Mysticas could grant her wish._

_._

* * *

'I... I'm sorry...' Suigintou whispers, lying in Shinku's arms. With a final sigh she closes her eyes and I am finally free. The world around me begins to fade away to white, and I know that Suiseiseki's Rosa Mystica will draw me towards her, meaning that I'll get to see her again, and I know Kanaria will be there too.

I'm now in a strange pale world covered in purple crystals. The sky is a black void and the ground beneath my feet is white marble. None of this matters though... what matters is-

'SOUSEISEKI!'

There she is- the twin that I've missed so badly, the one Rozen Maiden who I had always hoped would become Alice if I were to never get the chance. She rushes up to me and pulls me into a crushing hug, Kanaria standing behind with a large smile on her face, obviously pleased to see the twins reunited.

I can't help it- I'm crying again. I'm so unbelievably overjoyed to see my twin again, that I am unable to keep my emotions from getting the better of me. Suiseiseki is crying too, tears of happiness streaking down her elated face, and I can see tears of joy and celebration welling in Kanaria's eyes as well. She rushes forwards and clings onto our embrace, making it a group hug.

'Puny- dolt-' Suiseiseki sobs at Kanaria, and we all laugh. The Alice Game is something that ripped the sisters apart, and its also something that brought us together again.

.

* * *

'I hope Shinku wins, you know,' Kanaria says, curled up against Suiseiseki as the three of us sit on the ground watching what's happening right now in a large crystal acting as the mirror of this world.

'Well of course you do!' Suiseiseki snaps good-naturedly, and I smile. 'After all, it's not as if she'll let that horrible Barasuishou win! So, we'll all soon be in Shinku's N-field. I think that's a nice place, if I remember well enough.'

'It is,' I confirm. 'The tea there is excellent, after all.'

'Argh! We'll get to see Puny Ichigo but we'll have to see Suigintou and Barasuishou! I don't want that at all!' Suiseiseki says, plastering disdain on her face.

'Suigintou's not as evil as you think,' I say quietly.

'Souseiseki! How can you say that?! She stole your Rosa Mystica! As your older twin sister, I find this completely unacceptable! There's no way you should forgive her, you!'

Kanaria laughs, finding Suiseiseki's over-protective nature humorous Big mistake. Suiseiseki claps her around her head and I give an embarrassed smile.

'Suiseiseki... stop that...'

'I so can't forgive Suigintou for everything she's done! Why on earth would you say something like that, Souseiseki?!'

I explain about Suigintou's Medium, Megu, watching Suiseiseki and Kanaria's eyes widen in disbelief and shock.

'So... she wasn't doing this for Father, I guess,' Kanaria murmurs.

.

* * *

Barasuishou wins the Alice Game, and as it turns out, she's not actually a true Rozen Maiden. The man who has been asking us to fight is not Father after all, but Father's apprentice, Enju, Barasuishou's creator.

Shinku and Hinaichigo join us and we all watch in confusion as Jun mourns Shinku's death and starts demanding answers from Enju and Barasuishou. We see Barasuishou fall apart and view her and Enju fade away in a burst of bright light where we have to shield our eyes. Jun begins to scream at Father, accusing him of abandoning my sisters and I, and I start to understand properly where Jun's coming from. Why did Father leave us? Make us fight a war that deep down, we wanted no part of?

Then... we're ripped apart again as the Rosa Mysticas drift away once more...


	4. Defeated

**Four**

**Defeated**

'Souseiseki!' Suiseiseki shrieks as the world of Barasuishou crumples around us and she is dragged off in one direction along with the other Rozen Maidens, whereas I am pulled away in the other direction.

'Suiseiseki!' I cry, fear coursing through me as I realise I'm being left behind. I don't want to say goodbye to them again- I want to live with them, my dear sisters. I want no farewells.

'No!' Suiseiseki screams, tears pouring down her face once more as she drifts further and further away. She makes vivid motions with her arms, as if she is trying to swim through the air towards me.

'Souseiseki! Listen to me!' Shinku shouts, and (as always) she is still managing to remain calm in this situation. 'We'll rescue the two of you! We will not fail!'

_Don't go... please don't go..._

The despair I feel now is ripping me apart. They become distant silhouettes in the distance and then they fade entirely. I close my eyes and hope that this is all a sick, twisted dream.

Why couldn't I go with them? What is it about me that makes me so special?

As I open my eyes, I realise I am in a white abyss. Absolutely nothing in sight, like Grandma's inner world when she was in the coma. Gramps and Grandma... I miss them so much... do they know what has happened to me?

'Lempicka,' I croak, knowing nothing will happen but trying anyway. Of course Lempicka isn't here. There's no way I can summon her so I can escape... I'm trapped... Does Suigintou have Lempicka again? Lempicka should be with my Rosa Mystica, right? So where exactly _is _my Rosa Mystica? Whose N-field does this belong to?

'Souseiseki?' comes a whimper from my left. I turn in shock, unaware that I was not alone.

'Hinaichigo,' I say with a weak smile. I shouldn't be happy to see her, because this means she's trapped here too, but I am so relieved to not be alone in this world. Hina sobs and launches at me, pulling me into a hug. She's clearly terrified.

What do we have in common, which would mean that we would be brought here and not sent home with the others? Well, we were the first two dolls defeated in the Alice Game... but why only two? I give this a long thought before discovering another correlation.

'All the other dolls were defeated by Barasuishou,' I murmur, and Hinaichigo looks up at me with frightened green eyes, confused.

'Huh?'

'You were defeated a long time ago by Shinku, and Suigintou beat me at the Alice Game. Barasuishou killed the others. Maybe that's why we're here.' After all, it's the only logical conclusion I can come to.

'Because Barasuishou is now dead, the others have been brought back to life,' I continue. 'But the two of us remain the defeated.'

Hina moans. 'I... I wanna go home and be with Shinku... and Suiseiseki... and Kanaria... and Jun...'

'Me too, Hina,' I whisper sadly, tears forming in my eyes. 'And Shinku promised she'd get us out, remember?'

Hina nods. 'Okay...'

If only they could get us out now...

_**'My dear older sisters, we meet at last... I'm so happy...'**_

'Who's there?!' I shout, my eyes snapping open from the sleep I was in. Hina cries out and clutches my arm tighter, the voice scaring her.

_**'I am your little sister, Kirakishou,' **_says the voice. _**'I am the true Seventh Rozen Maiden doll.'**_

We hear a little but overjoyed laugh at this, and the twisted ring to it makes me want to run or hide. Unfortunately, I can do neither in this world.

_**'Nice to meet you... Hinaichigo... Souseiseki...'**_

'Let us out!' I yell. 'We want to go!'

_**'Won't you play with me, Blue Rose?'**_

'Hina doesn't like this!' Hinaichigo squeaks.

_**'Are you afraid, Pink Rose? But you are not alone; I have been alone for so long, and now... I have toys to play with...'**_

This psychotic statement chills me inside.

_ **'But, unfortunately, for the two of you... there is no more game to play...'**_

* * *

**Souseiseki's flashbacks will start in the next chapter :)**


End file.
